South East Queensland councils are set to share in $54 million to help get more organic waste out of landfill and turn it into valuable resources.
The funding is being delivered through the South East Queensland City Deal – a partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and the Council of Mayors (SEQ) – to support long-term infrastructure, liveability and environmental outcomes across the region.
The South East Queensland City Deal Organics Processing Program will support councils to build new infrastructure and upgrade existing facilities to better collect, sort and process organic waste.
Organic waste currently makes up a significant proportion of household waste sent to landfill, despite much of it being able to be recovered and reused.
By processing more organics locally, councils can reduce landfill volumes, recover valuable resources and help improve Queensland’s recycling rate.
Funding will be delivered through two streams:
- Stream 1 – Small Projects: initiatives costing up to $3 million;
- Stream 2 – Major Projects: initiatives costing more than $3 million.
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism, Andrew Powell said the State Government was delivering a plan for Queensland’s future, with the program playing an important role in improving Queensland’s recycling performance.
“The Crisafulli Government is determined to boost Queensland’s recycling rate and help councils divert more waste from landfill,” Minister Powell said.
“Being able to recycle more green and organic waste means this material can be turned into valuable products like compost and mulch instead of being buried in landfill.
“We’ve already supported more households to get green bins on the kerbside, and this investment will help councils build the infrastructure needed to process that material locally.”
Applications are now open for eligible councils to apply for funding here. Applications close on 1 July.
